STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) is running unopposed for a sixth term and sat down for an Advance Editorial Board on Thursday to discuss her recent accomplishments, what's coming up and what's affecting Staten Island.

Here are five takeaways:

Workers compensation program needs reform

Ms. Savino called "tackling" workers compensation reform her major focus this year, calling is a "disaster."

"In 2007 after almost 13 years of efforts to reform the workers comp system, the state adopted a workers comp reform package."

That should have driven down the cost of premium for employers, increase access to treatment for injured workers and expedite cases and get people back to work.

"It has done none of the above."

Minimum wage debate

With the state minimum wage now set at $8, with increases planned for Dec. 31 this year and again on Dec. 31, 2015, to $8.75 and $9 respectively, the debate is focusing more on whether municipalities should be able to raise their minimum wage above the state's, Ms. Savino said.

"For advocates for low-wage workers, it's not enough, it's never enough, that's what they believe," she said.

Of the several bills in the state legislature, the senator thinks one may be the most reasonable to consider.

That would continue to have the minimum wage set by the state and would allow localities -- with a vote from their local legislative body -- to add up to 30 percent more.

"I think that's a policy worth doing."

The argument that a minimum wage should be $15 per hour "I think is absurd," she said.

Common Core changes should come

The senator said it's important to note that "Common Core is supposed to be about improving student standards. Because no matter what anybody says, we are graduating children that are ill prepared for college."

The state needs a curriculum that makes sense, better standards that everyone understands and teachers need to negotiate how to set teacher evaluation standards, she said.

Ms. Savino added she's not sure teacher evaluations should be tied to student test scores "but we all made commitments around this Race to the Top. You've got to live up to the commitments you made."

Preparing for medical marijuana in N.Y.

As early as January 2016, the state will have a medical marijuana program that will give the drug in pill or oil form to the ill who have registered with the state and been given an ID card.

Ms. Savino authored the bill in the Senate and its passage this year and signing by Gov. Andrew Cuomo came after several changes were made.

The senator's bill had originally called for 20 farms/greenhouses to grow the plant and unlimited dispensaries. The final package allows for five such farms and four dispensaries each, for a total of 20.

The senator said she agreed to the changes because "in the end if [Cuomo] wasn't going to support it, he would veto the bill and we wouldn't be here having a conversation about a cannabis industry in New York state."

Now, the state Health Department will roll out a list of regulations that will determine how the program runs, including which producers will be selected and where they are located.

"If you make it too difficult, no one will apply," she said.

Addressing Cuomo's concern that it could open the door to illegal marijuana use for recreational purposes, Ms. Savino said, "I'm not concerned about that in the slightest," because it's in pill or oil form and "the value in the black market is in the smokeable form."

Independent Democratic Conference has been successful

The Independent Democratic Conference -- or IDC -- ruffled Republican and Democratic feathers alike but lead to some good policy, Ms. Savino said.

Created in 2011 and headed up by Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx), Ms. Savino and the other members worked with Senate Republicans to get the gun regulations SAFE Act passed, restore child care block grants and fund a universal pre-K program for New York City schools.

"We didn't create a coalition with the Republicans to spite the Democrats," she said.

Instead, the IDC's members didn't think Democrats had a majority in the Senate and decided to work with Senate Republicans.

"So the numerical Senate majority for Democrats didn't exist. We created a coalition with the Republicans because again, we were tired of gridlock."